Bishop Willie Walsh to ordain Gerard Jones to the Diaconate on Easter Monday

31. Mar, 2010

PRESS RELEASE

31 March 2010

Bishop Willie Walsh to ordain Gerard Jones to the Diaconate on Easter Monday

Bishop Willie Walsh, Bishop of Killaloe, will ordain Gerard Jones to the Diaconate on Easter Monday – 5 April 2010, at the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome.

Ordination to the Diaconate is one of the final steps a student takes on the journey to being ordained a priest. At Monday’s ceremony Bishop Walsh will ask Gerard to make a commitment to serve the Church as a deacon. In this role he will be able to preside over some of the sacramental ceremonies of the Church such as Baptism and Marriage. He will also be taking on a commitment to pray daily for and on behalf of the people of God and to assist the ministry of the Church in whatever duties he is given by the Bishop. Gerard will engage in this ministry as his final preparation for the commitment to priesthood which he hopes to make within the coming year.

Gerard is a native of O’Brien’s Bridge, Co. Clare. He is 27 years of age and is the son of Nicholas and Chrissie Jones. He was educated at Killaloe Boys National School and St. Anne’s Community College. Following his leaving certificate he went on to take a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Limerick in 2004. He began his studies for the priesthood at St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth and transferred to the Pontifical Irish College in Rome in 2007. Gerard is currently completing his studies in Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. During his formation Gerard has had pastoral placements in the Parish of Ennis, Co. Clare and also in Birr Parish in Co. Offaly.

Notes to Editors

Gerard is one of four students at present engaged in preparation for priesthood in the diocese of Killaloe.

He will be ordained along with his classmate Damian McCaughan from the Diocese of Down and Conor by Bishop Willie Walsh.